Month: June 2017

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Coming up on this episode of the Hockey Nuts, Steve and I get you caught up with all of the player transactions that have been going on over the past couple weeks. Between the expansion draft in Vegas, the Entry Draft in Chicago, and all of the trades that went on surrounding them, plus the NHL Awards and some HOF announcements, there is a lot to talk about, so lets get started!

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subcribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

Clare Drake (Builder): Clare Drake was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder’s category Monday, and you could practically hear the entire hockey coaching fraternity cheering. Drake, 88, was coach of the University of Alberta Golden Bears for 28 years before leaving the school in 1989, winning six University Cup championships and, perhaps more importantly, influencing hockey coaches around the world with his innovative tactics and teaching techniques. He also coached the Edmonton Oilers during the 1975-76 World Hockey Association season and was a Winnipeg Jets assistant in 1989-90. Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz, Dallas Stars coach Ken Hitchcock and Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock are among those who consider Drake a mentor and a huge influence on their own coaching style.

Jeremy Jacobs (Builder): Longtime Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder, it was announced Monday. Jacobs, the Bruins owner since 1975, has been chairman of the NHL Board of Governors since 2007. Jacobs oversaw the Bruins’ return to the heights of the NHL when they won the Stanley Cup in 2011 by defeating the Vancouver Canucks, becoming champions for the first time since 1972. “This was a total surprise,” Jacobs said. “I’m humbled and very appreciative.” Under Jacobs, the Bruins have been a consistent presence in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. From 1967-68 through 1995-96, The Bruins made the playoffs 29 straight seasons from 1967-68 to 1995-96, with Jacobs serving as the owner for 21 of those seasons. In his 41 seasons of ownership, the Bruins have made the playoffs 34 times.

Danielle Goyette: Goyette won three Olympic medals — gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and 2006 Turin Olympics, and silver at the 1998 Nagano Olympics — and seven golds and one silver playing for Canada at the IIHF World Women’s Championship.

Teemu Selanne: Selanne, who set an NHL rookie record with 76 goals for the Winnipeg Jets in 1992-93 and scored 684 times in 21 NHL seasons, was elected in his first year of eligibility. He broke the previous record of 53 set by Hall of Fame forward Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders in 1977-78, and his 132 points also are a record for an NHL rookie. Neither record has been approached.

Dave Andreychuk: Andreychuk, who was captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won their only Stanley Cup championship in 2004, had been the only retired player with at least 600 goals (640) not in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was elected in his ninth year of eligibility.

Mark Recchi: Recchi, a Stanley Cup winner with three teams during his 22-season NHL career and the 12th-highest scorer in League history (1,533 points), was elected after waiting four years. He was the only retired player to score more than 500 goals (577) and finish his career with more than 1,500 points (1,533) not in the Hall.

Paul Kariya: Kariya was a three-time member of the NHL First All-Star Team who finished his NHL career as a point-per-game player with 989 (402 goals, 587 assists) in 989 games with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. He was captain of the Ducks from 1996-97 through 2002-03 and helped them advance to the 2003 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the New Jersey Devils in seven games. He also helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Kariya and Selanne played together with the Ducks from 1996-2001 and with the Avlanche in 2003-04. “Teemu, if I didn’t get the opportunity to play with him, I wouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame,” Kariya said. Of playing with Kariya, Selanne said, “I played my best years with Paul, and chemistry was magic every night. I learned so much from him as a player and as a human being. It’s a great honor to share this honor with Paul.”

· Home opener vs Min on 10/7, last home game on 4/7 vs TBL

· The New York Rangers are expected to hire former Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff as an assistant, the New York Post reported on Saturday. Ruff would replace Jeff Beukeboom, who’s expected to move to a scouting role on coach Alain Vigneault’s staff. Ruff, 57, was fired by the Stars on April 9 after they failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs one season after finishing with the best record in the Western Conference. In four seasons with Dallas, he was 165-122-41 and has a career coaching record of 736-554-78-125 in 1,493 games with the Stars and Buffalo Sabres. His 736 wins are fifth in NHL history behind Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Al Arbour and Ken Hitchcock, who succeeded him in Dallas.

· Skipped NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced on Friday that the League and the NHL Players’ Association will sponsor feasibility studies to explore establishing future NCAA Division I college hockey programs on campuses across the United States. The announcement was made during a press conference prior to the start of the 2017 NHL Draft presented by adidas at United Center. The NHL and NHLPA have agreed in this endeavor to commit funds through the industry growth fund, which is financing the initiative. The University of Illinois will be the first to participate in the study. “This initiative demonstrates the NHL’s support of the growth of men’s and women’s college hockey at the Division I level and we’re looking to incentivize and raise awareness to schools that may be interested in getting a Division I hockey program,” Commissioner Bettman said. “By expanding our footprint of hockey at all levels for elite programs we can inspire new players and parents to join the hockey family. “By working to expand the number of programs, we hope to grow the game at all levels and increase participation.” Commissioner Bettman was joined by NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director Mathieu Schneider; USA Hockey Executive Director Pat Kelleher; University of Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman; President/CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks John McDonough; Buffalo Sabres Owner and Alumnus/Patron of Penn State University Terry Pegula. Penn State added a Division I program for men and women in 2012-13, and the men’s program was ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation during 2016-17. The University of Illinois had a successful club hockey program that finished No. 13 in ACHA Division I last season while playing in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League. Illinois is part of the Big Ten, which began sponsoring hockey when Penn State elevated its program. “The number of players who have played college hockey and played in the NHL is growing,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. “There are a number of development paths to the NHL and college is becoming a much more prominent way to get here. We’re focused on the development leagues below college hockey as well in terms of strengthening them.” According to collegehockeyinc.com, 32 percent of all NHL players have played college hockey at some point. There were 15 players on the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins who played college hockey. Kevin Westgarth, NHL Vice President of Business Development & International Affairs, is proud of the effort made to expand hockey into more Division I colleges. “It would be amazing to see a UCLA-USC game before a Los Angeles Kings-Anaheim Ducks game,” Westgarth said. “There’s certainly some big dreamers involved in this. I think the goal really is with the raising of awareness and the NHL connection and being able to use our platform to be able to announce this and explore what the cost would be at a variety of schools.

· Dave Tippett has agreed to leave as coach of the Arizona Coyotes, it was announced Thursday. “After some thoughtful discussions with [owner Andy Barroway], we both agreed that it was best for me to move on,” Tippett said in a statement issued by the team. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Coyotes and wish Andy and the entire organization all the best in the future.” Tippett, 55, was 282-257-83 in eight seasons as Coyotes coach. He had the second-longest tenure with one team among NHL coaches behind Joel Quenneville, who was hired by the Chicago Blackhawks four games into the 2008-09 season, but Arizona had failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past five seasons. “On behalf of the entire Coyotes organization, I would like to sincerely thank Tip for all of his hard work and the many contributions he made to our organization,” Barroway said in the statement. “Tip is a man of high character and we are very grateful for his leadership during his tenure as our head coach.” The announcement came five days after the Coyotes traded goaltender Mike Smith to the Calgary Flames and three days after they announced their decision to not offer a contract to longtime captain Shane Doan. Barroway, who reportedly bought out minority owners to take full control of the Coyotes earlier this month, said there were philosophical differences with Tippett on how to build the team. “Therefore, we mutually agreed that it is in everyone’s best interest to have a coaching change in order to move our franchise forward,” he said. Tippett agreed to a structured buyout, the Coyotes said. On May 5, 2016, he signed a five-year contract that replaced his former agreement and also was given the title of executive vice president of hockey operations. Those moves coincided with Chayka being promoted to GM. Tippett won the Jack Adams Award as best coach in the NHL in 2009-10, his first season in Arizona. He guided the Coyotes to the playoffs each of his first three seasons, getting as far as the Western Conference Final, in 2012.

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subcribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

Share this:

Coming up on this episode of the Hockey Nuts, Steve and I get you caught up with all of the action in the NHL Stanley Cup Final. We’ll also take an in-depth look at the upcoming expansion draft. We’ll have all the headlines, plus our picks of the week, coming up next!

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subcribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

Bob Boughner was named coach of the Florida Panthers on Monday. “I always wanted to coach at the end of my career,” Boughner said. “I worked hard at it and spent a lot of time developing players. I put in my time and I’m ready. I learned the craft and I have a lot of knowledge of the League. I’m going to make the organization proud, and I’m going to make the fans proud.” Boughner, 46, was an assistant with the San Jose Sharks for the past two seasons under coach Peter DeBoer and reached the Stanley Cup Final last season. He coached Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League for eight seasons and won the Memorial Cup in 2009 and 2010, and was an assistant with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Scott Arniel’s staff in 2010-11. This is Boughner’s first job as coach in the NHL, and he’s the 15th coach in Panthers history. The former NHL defenseman had 72 points (15 goals, 57 assists) in 630 games during 10 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche before retiring in 2006. Boughner replaces Tom Rowe, who was reassigned by the Panthers on April 10. Rowe finished the season as coach after Gerard Gallant was fired on Nov. 27. The Panthers were 35-36-11 and were 14 points out of the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference after winning the Atlantic Division last season. General manager Dale Tallon said he knew right after he interviewed Boughner about two weeks ago that he had found his man. Tallon said Boughner came to the interview with two stacks of files, one including analytics information and the other detailing philosophy. “Bob impressed us like no one else,” Tallon said. “All the years I’ve been in the business, Bob was the most prepared. His preparation, his passion knocked us out of the park.” Boughner was teammates with Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr in Pittsburgh from 1999-2001, and he has ties to other Florida players; His son is close friends with defenseman Aaron Ekblad, and he coached forward Derek MacKenzie in Columbus, goaltender James Reimer in San Jose, and defensemen Mark Pysyk and Alex Petrovic at the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. Boughner reportedly interviewed with the Sabres for their coaching vacancy and last year was a finalist for the Avalanche coaching job that went to Jared Bednar after Patrick Roy’s resignation. Tallon said he interviewed 15 candidates and talked to about six more. Among those reportedly interviewed were University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery and former Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien. “I started off with a list,” Tallon said. “I made a long list of guys from all walks — junior coaches, college coaches, AHL head coaches, assistant coaches — and I wanted guys that were probably newer, not necessarily the most experienced. Being a head coach in the NHL wasn’t really the No. 1 criteria for my list that I put together. “I wanted new voices, new faces, new attitude, more of a contemporary look. I didn’t want to go back. There were a lot of good coaches that had NHL coaching experience that I had good conversations [with], but they weren’t exactly what I felt was necessary for us moving forward long term. That was my plan of attack and I identified a lot of different names. Obviously, Bob was on the list and then we started paring that down. This was the right choice.” The Sabres are now the only NHL team without a coach.

GoalieJoonas Korpisalo signed a two-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. Financial terms of the contract were not released, but The Columbus Dispatch reported Korpisalo, 23, would make $700,000 in 2017-18 and $1.1 million in 2018-19, for an average annual value of $900,000. He could have become a restricted free agent July 1. Korpisalo was the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky this season after being recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League on Jan. 10. Korpisalo was 7-5-1 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 14 games (13 starts). The Blue Jackets selected Korpisalo in the third round (No. 62) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He is 23-16-5 with a 2.68 GAA and .915 save percentage in 45 NHL games the past two seasons. Because Bobrovsky has a no-movement clause in his contract, Korpisalo could be exposed to the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft; Columbus can protect one goaltender.

Tyler Toffoliand the Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a three-year, $13.8 million contract (average annual value of $4.6 million), general manager Rob Blake announced Wednesday. Toffoli could have become a restricted free agent July 1. The 25-year-old forward had 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 63 games last season. He missed 19 games with a lower-body injury and had minor surgery on his left knee after the season. His 31 goals in 2015-16 were an NHL career high and led the Kings. He had 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 26 games in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs to help the Kings win the Cup. In 293 NHL games, all with Los Angeles, Toffoli has 175 points (84 goals, 91 assists). The Kings selected Toffoli in the second round (No. 47) of the 2010 NHL Draft.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere to a $27 million US, six-year contract extension. The 24-year-old Gostisbehere had seven goals and 39 points in 76 games this season, a dropoff from a sensational rookie season that saw Flyers fans chanting for “Ghost.” He’ll have a salary cap hit of $4.5M and earn $6 million in salary each of the first two years of the deal. He’ll get $5.5 million in 2019-20 and $3.25 million in the final two years of the contract. He had 17 goals and 46 points as rookie. He won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers’ best defenceman and finished second in voting for the Calder Trophy given to the NHL’s rookie of the year. Gostisbehere scored four overtime goals over the course of the season, becoming the first NHL rookie to do so, and set Flyers and NHL records with a 15-game scoring streak from Jan. 19 to Feb. 20, 2016. Gostisbehere was also voted to the league’s All-Rookie team. In 142 career NHL games, Gostisbehere has 24 goals and 61 assists for 85 points. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/philadelphia-flyers-shayne-gostisbehere-contract-extension-1.4154625

TheNashville Predators signed defenseman Yannick Weber to a one-year, $650,000 contract on Tuesday, the team announced. The 28-year-old is coming off his first season with the Predators after spending the previous three with the Vancouver Canucks. He played a career-high 73 games, recording one goal and seven assists. During the postseason, Weber served on the team’s third defense pairing alongside Matt Irwin. In 22 games, he collected one assist while averaging 11:09 of ice time per game. Weber was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

TheWinnipeg Jets have agreed to a one-year, one-way contract with forward Marko Dano worth $850,000, the team announced Tuesday. Originally a first-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013, Dano was traded to the Jets in the deal that sent Andrew Ladd, Matt Fraser and Jay Harrison to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2016. Dano appeared in 38 games for Winnipeg last season, scoring four goals to go along with 11 assists. The native of Austria missed 26 games in the middle of the season due to a lower-body injury. For his career, the 22-year old has registered 42 points across 107 NHL games.

Injuries

Defenseman Erik Karlsson could miss the start of next season for the Ottawa Senators after having successful foot surgery Wednesday. “Erik underwent surgery earlier today in Charlotte, North Carolina, to repair torn tendons in his left foot,” general manager Pierre Dorion told the Senators website. “The tears, which occurred during this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, were found during an MRI as part of an extensive medical evaluation following the season. “The recovery from this surgery is expected to take approximately four months. This timeline leaves us hopeful that Erik will be fully recovered and healthy to start the 2017-18 regular season.” Karlsson, 27, led Ottawa with 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) in the playoffs, helping the Senators reach the Eastern Conference Final, where they were eliminated in seven games by the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. He also revealed after the Eastern Conference First Round that he had two hairline fractures in his left heel sustained blocking a shot during the regular season. Dorion also said Karlsson had muscle damage in his ankle. The Senators captain had 71 points (17 goals, 54 assists) in 77 games and is a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman for the fourth time. He won the award in 2012 and 2015.

The Calgary Flames will move if they don’t get a new arena, Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke said Wednesday. “We’re not going to make the threat to leave. We’ll just leave,” Burke told a season-ticket holder at a business luncheon at the Canadian Club of Calgary, according to the Calgary Sun. “We still have a building that [opened] in 1983, the oldest in the League by more than 10 years.” Burke refused to take questions from media after the event. Flames president and CEO Ken King issued a response to Burke’s comments. “Brian Burke runs Hockey Operations for the Calgary Flames and he and many Calgarians have strong views about this topic. However, he is not our spokesperson regarding a new events centre for our city. We remain committed to our dialogue with the City and very optimistic we will get to a positive conclusion. We admire everyone’s enthusiasm on this subject.” Scotiabank Saddledome has been the Flames’ home since it opened and is the second-oldest arena in use in the NHL. Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Rangers, opened in 1968, but a $1 billion renovation was completed in 2013. Scotiabank Saddledome was flooded to the eighth row of seats in June 2013, but the arena was repaired in time for the Flames to start their preseason schedule on time in September. King said the Flames moving was an option in a letter to fans posted to their website April 2. “In response to a question, are you going to use the threat of moving as a tactic, I said we would not. I also said we would ‘just move,'” King wrote. “The facts are we need a solution and if it is deemed that there is no made-in-Calgary solution we will have to make a decision at that time, which logically could include deciding to move the team. It is merely one out of a few possible outcomes if we are unable to reach a deal with the city that will work for both sides.” Commissioner Gary Bettman has said the Flames need a new arena. “I think everybody knows the new arena is important on a whole host of levels for a whole host of reasons,” he said March 15 while in Calgary. “You’ve got to get from here to there, and since I tend to be an optimist by nature I’m hoping that on both sides, not that there are sides, but the city and the Flames can figure this out. In August 2015, the Flames unveiled CalgaryNEXT, an $890 million plan for a new hockey arena, covered football stadium and a multisport field house in Calgary’s West Village, and another location just north of the Saddledome also has been billed as a possible option. “[Scotiabank Saddledome] was built in the 1980s,” Commissioner Bettman said. “They don’t build buildings like this anymore. It’s a grand old building. It’s got a great roof line. It’s historic in many ways. But these aren’t the facilities that our hockey teams typically have … this is an old, antiquated building. “And in terms of amenities for the fans, which is the most important thing, it doesn’t hold a candle to what’s been done in new arenas.”

· Rumors: Salary Cap Flat,

· Andrew Barroway holds all of the cards. The Philadelphia-based hedge fund manager became the sole owner of the Arizona Coyotes on Monday upon completion of his transaction to buy out the club’s minority owners, according to multiple reports. Barroway initially purchased a majority stake in the Coyotes in December 2014, while Monday’s move sees him attain full ownership of IceArizona, LLC, a group backed by Anthony LeBlanc and George Gosbee among other minority partners, who purchased the Coyotes in 2013. Prior to the sale to IceArizona, the league held ownership of the Coyotes for a four-year period beginning in 2009. The full sale to Barroway means LeBlanc, who doubled as the Coyotes’ president and CEO, and co-owner Gary Drummond, who later became the Coyotes’ president of hockey operations, will relinquish those roles at the end of the month, according to Sportsnet’s John Shannon. “The reorganization is an effort to consolidate and strengthen the ownership and to resolve various disputes among the existing owners,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. “We believe this will better position the club to achieve a long-term solution in the Valley.” The Coyotes’ focus will now turn to ensuring their future in the desert. The team has one year remaining on its lease at Gila River Arena in Glendale. Earlier this year, a proposal to build a new arena on the campus of Arizona State University fell through. Meanwhile, a subsequent discussion to build a new facility in the East Valley has garnered little support from the Arizona legislature. According to Morgan, a new arena in downtown Phoenix is among the top possibilities being considered by Barroway.

Ottawa Senatorsdefenseman Dion Phaneuf is not expected to waive his no-movement clause leading up to the expansion draft, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The 32-year-old was reportedly asked by the club to do so, which would expose him to the Vegas Golden Knights. However, should Phaneuf retain his clause he’ll be automatically protected. The Senators, of course, will certainly protect captain Erik Karlsson, and will likely have to choose between Marc Methot and Cody Ceci to round out their list should they choose the seven-three-one format. Phaneuf’s current contract runs through the 2020-21 season at an annual cap hit of $7 million.

The Grand Rapids Griffins, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, won the 2017 Calder Cup on Tuesday night by defeating the Syracuse Crunch, 4-3, in Game 6 of the series. The Griffins had to overcome a 3-2 third period deficit to secure the series clinching win and were able to do it thanks to a pair of late goals from Tyler Bertuzzi and Martin Frk. Bertuzzi, who scored nine goals during the playoffs for the Griffins, was named playoff MVP for his performance. He was the Red Wings’ second-round draft pick (No. 58 overall) in 2013. He got his first taste of NHL action this season when he appeared in seven games with the big club. He did not record a point in those games. During his time with the Griffins, however, he managed to score 12 goals and add 25 assists in only 48 games. His production was a sharp increase from where it was a year earlier in the AHL (during his first year of pro hockey he had 30 points in 71 games). This championship is the second in the history of the Griffins, with both of them coming in the past five years.

Picks of the week:

Steve: I was going to select that story of Roman Josi and Mike Fisher visiting that young cancer patient Trip Phinney, if that’s OK…

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subcribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

Share this:

Coming up on this episode of the Hockey Nuts, Steve and I get you caught up with all of the action in the NHL Stanley Cup Final. We’ll take a shot of Listerine, and break down games 3 & 4. We’ll also take a look at the playoffs in the AHL, and ECHL and we have some KHL news. We’ll have all this, plus our picks of the week, coming up next!
THN Episode 43 Show Notes

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subcribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

The Blackhawks won the “Jan Rutta Sweepstakes” on Wednesday.Signing the 26-year old Czech defender to a one-year, $925,000 entry-level contract, the Blackhawks beat out both the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames who were also both reportedly interested in Rutta. In 46 games last season with Chomutov Pirati of the Czech League, the right-handed shot Rutta scored eight goals and career highs in assists (24) and points (32) while also adding two goals and 13 points in 17 postseason contests.

TheChicago Blackhawks will name Ulf Samuelsson assistant coach to fill the vacancy created by Mike Kitchen’s firing, a source told Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan. The former NHL defenseman served as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes‘ AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, this past season, guiding them to a 39-29-7-1 record and a first-round appearance in the Calder Cup playoffs. He was an assistant coach with the New York Rangers from 2013-16 and associate coach of the then-Phoenix Coyotes from 2006-11. Kitchen was fired after the Blackhawks were swept out of the first round by the Nashville Predators in April. The move was reportedly made to send a message to Quenneville and didn’t sit well with the head coach, who spent seven years with his former assistant in Chicago and several more in St. Louis. Samuelsson played five seasons with head coach Joel Quenneville as members of the Hartford Whalers from 1985-86 to 1989-90.

Injuries

Detroit Red Wings centerLuke Glendening could miss the start of training camp after having surgery Monday on his left ankle to repair tendon damage. Glendening’s expected recovery time is 3-4 months. “The surgery was done to repair an injury he suffered late in the season,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said Tuesday. “We hoped he would improve with rest and immobilization, but we decided at this point that surgery was necessary to make sure he is ready for the 2017-18 season.” Glendening, 28, broke his ankle and partially tore tendons during the Red Wings’ 4-3 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 27 and missed the final seven games of the regular season. He had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) and was minus-10 in 74 games.

New York Rangers forwardJesper Fast is expected to miss the start of next season after having surgery to repair the labrum in his left hip. The projected recovery time is five months. Fast sustained a shoulder injury in March and missed seven games. Fast, 25, could become a restricted free agent on July 1. He had 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) and a plus-6 rating in 68 regular-season games. He also had six points (three goals, three assists) in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Rangers, who were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Second Round by the Ottawa Senators in six games.

New York Rangers goalieHenrik Lundqvist sustained an Isolated Grade 1 MCL sprain in his knee playing for Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Championship. The Rangers confirmed a report by Swedish website expressen.se and said they don’t expect any issues with Lundqvist going forward. The website reported Lundqvist will need 4-6 weeks to recover. It is unclear when Lundqvist sustained the injury. Lundqvist had a 1.31 goals-against average and .945 save percentage in five games at the tournament, and stopped four shots in the shootout in the gold-medal game, a 2-1 win against Canada on May 21. After the win, he was tackled by Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander during Sweden’s celebration. Lundqvist, 35, joined Sweden at the World Championship after New York was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Second Round in six games. He was 6-6 with a 2.25 GAA and .927 save percentage during the postseason. Lundqvist had the worst GAA (2.74) and save percentage (.910) of his NHL career during the regular season, finishing 31-20-4 in 57 games (55 starts).

84-85 Edmonton Oilers Named greatest of the NHL top 100. The run-and-gun Edmonton Oilers cruised past the competition to win a second consecutive championship in 1985, going 15-3 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including a five-game win against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Final. Wayne Gretzky set NHL records for assists (30) and points (47) in a single postseason, and he scored seven goals in the Final to tie the modern record shared by Jean Beliveau of the Montreal Canadiens (1956) and Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders (1982). 91-92 Pittsburgh #2, 76-77 Montreal #3. https://www.nhl.com/news/greatest-nhl-teams-top-10-list/c-289599886

CenterRyan Johansen continued the Nashville Predators’ takeover of the city. Johansen was named Honorary Mayor of Nashville for the Day during Preds Pride Day celebration at city hall Monday. “I’m really excited,” he said prior to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVA Sports). “What a cool opportunity and tremendous honor. It’s great that they thought about having a Predator out to do something like this and celebrate our team. I’m just going to soak in the experience and really enjoy the experience of being Honorary Mayor.” Along with Mayor Megan Barry, he unveiled a sign renaming 5th Avenue South “Predators Way” for the month of June. The street runs alongside Bridgestone Arena.

The Carolina Hurricanes would like to trade picks for players prior to the2017 NHL Draft at United Center in Chicago on June 23-24, general manager Ron Francis said. The Hurricanes have 10 picks in the 2017 draft, including six in the first three rounds. They have the No. 12 pick in the first round, three picks in second round and two in the third. “I’m hoping we don’t use all 10 picks when it comes to the draft, and I’ve had contact with other teams telling them we are willing to give up some picks to get players so I wanted to let you know that up front,” Francis told his scouting team in a video posted on the Hurricanes website Monday. Francis acquired goalie Scott Darling from the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft on April 29, and signed him to a four-year, $16.6 million contract on May 5.

Scouting Combine happened this week…

Dallas Stars forward Valeri Nichushkin could return to the NHL next season after playing this season in the Kontinental Hockey League. Stars director of amateur scouting Joe McDonnell told NHL.com on Friday at the NHL Scouting Combine that it will be up to Nichushkin. “He’s in Russia now and it’s 50-50 on whether we get him back next season,” McDonnell said. “In the end it’ll be up to him if he wants to come back.” Nichushkin has one year left on a two-year contract he signed with CSKA on Sept. 20. He had 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 36 KHL games. “[If he does return], coach Ken Hitchcock and him will have to forge a relationship,” McDonnell said. “If you watch Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that’s what a Val Nichushkin can be in the end. But it’s whether he has it in his heart. If he wants to do it, he can do it. Nichushkin, 22, was selected No. 10 in the 2013 NHL Draft. He had 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) as a rookie in 79 games in 2013-14 but missed all but eight games in 2014-15 because of hip surgery, and had 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 79 games in 2015-16. The Stars, who retain Nichushkin’s NHL rights until he can become an unrestricted free agent at age 27, would need to protect those rights in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft. If they leave him unprotected, the Vegas Golden Knights could select him even if he decides to play in the KHL for another season. Stars captain Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin often were linemates with Nichushkin during his time with Dallas.

· http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Aivis-Kalnins/KHL-board-of-governors-meeting-recap/246/85365 (5/24/17) The annual KHL Board of Governors meeting was held to discuss league’s future, approve a new financial strategy and make other decisions on leagues future and out of that meeting, the Metallurg Novokuznetsk hockey club has officially suspended from participating in KHL for 2017/2018 season. Here a part of my story from last week: After the KHL executive board meeting, multiple sources have indicated that Metallurg Novokuznetsk is close to folding. The Kontinental Hockey League was due to have changes this off-season as Medvescak Zagreb announced they were leaving the league due to financial reasons. Now Kuzna joins the group of departing teams and there may be more to come. League executives have refused to comment at this time.

· 17:11 Moscow time league officially announces that Medvescak and Metallurg both are out of the competition for the upcoming season.

· 17:15 League announces that only 27 teams will play in the 2017/2018 season, no expansion teams to come in.

· 17:20 President of KHL Dmitri Chernyshenko suggests that KHL will have 24 teams by the start of 2018/2019 season. KHL will reduce its size by 3 teams in near future.

· 17:23 Dmitri Chernyshenko says that Novkuznetsk will have a chance to return to KHL. Metallurg continues to run its hockey development program.

· 17:25 KHL expects to have 8 foreign clubs for 2019/2020 season.

· 17:26: KHL will be replacing poorer KHL teams with European and Asian teams. Over each of the next 3 years, KHL will deduct the financially weaker teams one by one.

· 17:28 KHL introduces salary cap.

· 2017/2018 season’s salary cap to be roughly above 15milion dollars + luxury penalty for teams that exceed that. By 2020 season, the league expects the salary cap to be down at 10 million a year. Each team will be allowed to exclude 2-3 players from their salary cap hit.

· 17:41 Source suggests that KHL is set to expand to United Kingdom in coming years. Lada, Yugra and Amur are candidates to ”most likely” to be excluded from participation in KHL.

· 18:04 KHL insists that the teams to be deducted will be only the Russian teams, European side of the league will have option to leave if agreed by both sides.

· Sergei Bobrovsky was asked to comment on the Novkuznetsk deduction by ”Sport-express”: “It’s terrible news,” Bobrovsky said to Marat Safin of Sport-express, “For the club, for the city, for the region, the city loved hockey.”” The club has a rich history, it brought up many good guys and could continue to supply young players for the leading KHL clubs, for the Russian team. For a hockey school without a team of pro players, it’s easier to destroy than to build
something, it’s just another decision made, and for thousands of boys from all over the region it’s a loss of motivation, a loss of a dream. “

· 18:35 Medvescak Zagreb officially confirms that they will play in EBEL. 19:14 Metallurg Novokuznetsk will play in VHL.

KHL hockey club Dynamo Moscow said on Friday it was raided by police on 6/1, the latest twist in a bitter dispute over its finances. Officers from an anti-fraud and corruption squad arrived late Thursday at Dynamo’s offices and seized financial documents, the club said. According to the club, the raid was prompted by an allegation of embezzlement by an employee of the club’s training base, made in a letter by a senior executive of the Dynamo sports society. The society owns the club and has been in dispute with its management. The club said it was co-operating with police, but suggested the corruption complaint was being used as “a means of putting pressure” on the club. Dynamo was until recently one of Russia’s top hockey teams with backing from billionaire former club president Arkady Rotenberg, and won the Kontinental Hockey League in 2012 and 2013. Since Rotenberg left in 2015, the club has experienced cash shortages, and relations with the Dynamo sports society’s leadership have become tense. Last month, society head Vladimir Strzhalkovsky told Russian media the club racked up debts of around 2 billion rubles $35 million US.

The Kontinental Hockey League, Jokerit Helsinki and SKA St.Petersburg announced that there will be an outdoor game held in Helsinki on December 2nd to celebrate 100 years of Finnish hockey and the 10th season of the KHL. The Ice Challenge will be played in front of over 18,000 people at the Kaisaniemi Park. As expected Jokerit also announced that a Liiga game will take place at the same field (HIFK vs. Kärpät) making it more entertaining in the format of Best of Europe and Best of Finland. Two of the traditional Helsinki hatchbacks, HIFK and Joker, are now joining 100 years of Finnish power. The Helsinki Ice Challenge honors 100-year-old Finland and our national hockey teams by bringing the speed of today’s discovery to the starting point of Kaisaniemi Park. There are two unique and solemn sporting events in which both teams play seriously at the points of their hardcore series. The City of Helsinki wants to be one of the Helsinki Ice Challenge enablers. The city wants to welcome hockey fans and everyone to encourage and enjoy the event. The experience is complementary to Helsinki’s rich Christmas event. Tickets for both games will be available on Thursday 8 June. At 9.00 am at ticketmaster.com

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

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Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

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Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

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Share this:

Coming up on this episode of the Hockey Nuts, Steve and I get you caught up with all of the action in the NHL Stanley Cup Final. We’ll break down both games that have been played so far. We’ll also take a look at the playoffs in the AHL, ECHL and the Memorial Cup Tournament. We’ll have all this, plus our picks of the week, coming up next!
THN Episode 42 Show Notes

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subcribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

The LA Kings have acquired the rights to unsigned draft choice Bokondji “Boko” Imama (boh-khan-JEE, ih-MA-ma) from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for the Kings seventh-round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, Kings Vice President and General Manager Rob Blake announced Wednesday. The trade is conditioned on the Kings signing Imama to an NHL contract before Thursday’s (June 1) 2 p.m. PT signing deadline. Imama, a 6-foot-1, 221-pound forward and an assistant captain, played in 66 games with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this past season, recording 41 goals and 55 points to go along with 105 penalty minutes and a plus-11 rating. He led all Sea Dogs skaters in goals, was fifth for points and was third for penalty minutes. The LA Kings have signed forward Bokondji “Boko” Imama to a three-year entry-level contract, Kings Vice President and General Manager Rob Blake announced Thursday.

Boston Bruins General ManagerDon Sweeney announced today, May 30, that the team has signed forward Anders ‪Bjork to a three-year entry-level contract, beginning with the 2017-18 season. ‪Bjork served as an alternate captain for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2016-17, finishing the year with 21 goals and 31 assists for 52 points – all career highs – with 16 penalty minutes and a plus-17 rating. The 5-foot-11, 183-pound forward helped lead Notre Dame to a Frozen Four appearance for the first time since 2011. At the conclusion of the season, ‪Bjork was selected to the Hockey East First All-Star Team and was named a Hobey Baker Award (NCAA Top Collegiate Player) finalist. As a sophomore in 2015-16, the forward was selected to the Hockey East Second All-Star Team after posting 12 goals and 23 assists for a team-high 35 points with eight penalty minutes and a career-high plus-28 rating in 35 games. ‪Bjork appeared in 41 games with Notre Dame as a freshman in 2014-15, tallying seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points with 14 penalty minutes. Prior to attending Notre Dame, ‪Bjork spent two seasons in Ann Arbor, Michigan with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2012-14, skating in 117 games and compiling 33 goals and 32 assists for 65 points with 58 penalty minutes and a plus-21 rating. Bjork represented the United States in international play on four separate occasions. Most recently, ‪Bjork was selected to play with Team USA at the 2017 IIHF Men’s World Championships, where he appeared in five games. At the Under-20 World Junior Championships in 2016, ‪Bjork skated in seven games, posting three goals with a plus-five rating, en route to earning a bronze medal. At the Under-18 World Junior Championships in 2014, he skated in seven games, tallying two goals with a plus-four rating as the United States won the gold medal. ‪Bjork first represented his country at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge in 2013, where he appeared in six games and notched one assist, earning a bronze medal with Team USA.

The Vancouver Canucks acquired a second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday as compensation for hiring coach John Tortorella. Tortorella was hired as Blue Jackets coach on Oct. 21, 2015, after he was fired by the Canucks on May 1, 2014 with four years remaining on a five-year contract. After being hired by Columbus, the Blue Jackets were given the option to send their second-round draft pick in 2016, 2017 or 2018 to Vancouver as compensation. The pick is No. 55 in the draft. Tortorella was named a Jack Adams Award finalist after coaching Columbus to a 50-24-8 record this season, the best in its history, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2013-14.

Minnesota Wild assistant coach Scott Stevens resigned Tuesday, saying he wants to spend more time with his family. “I just want to be close to them,” Stevens told the Wild website. “That’s the toughest part of the job, moving away from your house and being away from your family. I need them, and that’s what it comes down to. “When you’ve been in one spot for a long time and you raise your kids … it’s a little tougher than you think. I had nothing but a great experience in Minnesota. I met a lot of people and [have] a lot of new friends that I’ll keep forever.” The 53-year-old relocated from New Jersey, away from his wife Donna, and two of his children, who live in New York City, to work an assistant under coach Bruce Boudreau this season. “At this point, I’m just gonna take a step back. I really have no plans,” Stevens said. “I just want to get back home and get settled and we’ll see where it goes.”

When things weren’t going well near the end of Scott Gomez’s NHL playing career, the center turned to Doug Weight for guidance. Less than a year after deciding to end a playing career that spanned 16 seasons, Gomez was hired Tuesday by the New York Islanders as an assistant coach under Weight. Gomez is the second assistant Weight has hired in the past two weeks; Luke Richardson joined the Islanders on May 18. Gomez had 756 points (181 goals, 575 assists) in 1,079 NHL games with the Devils, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Ottawa Senators. He had 101 points (29 goals, 72 assists) in 149 Stanley Cup Playoff games. https://www.nhl.com/news/new-york-islanders-hired-scott-gomez-as-assistant-coach/c-289674482

Defenseman Michal Kempny agreed to terms on one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Steve Ott was named an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues on Thursday and ended his NHL playing career after 14 seasons. The 34-year-old, who played for the Blues from 2013-16, signed a three-year contract.

Injuries

Columbus Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in September following wrist surgery Monday. Dubinsky’s recovery will take about three months. “Brandon had been experiencing discomfort in his wrist since the season ended and after an examination last week it was determined that surgery was the best course of action at this time,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement. “We expect that he’ll be ready to go when training camp begins in September.” Dubinsky, 31, had 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) and was plus-16 in 80 regular-season games this season, and had two points (one goal, one assist) in five Stanley Cup Playoff games. The Blue Jackets were eliminated in the Eastern Conference First Round by the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games. Dubinsky has 408 points (141 goals, 267 assists) in 700 NHL games with the Blue Jackets and New York Rangers.

Erik Karlsson will have an MRI and X-rays on his injured left heel next week, but the Ottawa Senators defenseman said Saturday he expects to fully recover. Karlsson played the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs with two hairline fractures in his foot. “I’m going to have to go over that this week,” Karlsson said at Canadian Tire Centre, where the Senators cleaned out their lockers after being eliminated with a 3-2 double-overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday. “Haven’t really done much the previous two days. I’m going to go get an MRI and some X-rays done next week, and we’ll go from there, but hopefully it shouldn’t be an issue come the start of next year.”

Arizona Coyotes centerTobias Rieder is expected to be ready for the start of next season following surgery for an ankle injury he sustained playing for Germany at the 2017 IIHF World Hockey Championship this month. The Coyotes said his recovery time will be 8-12 weeks. Rieder, 24, was injured when he crashed into the boards in a 6-3 loss to Russia on May 8. He had one goal in three games. He had 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 80 games with the Coyotes this season. The 16 goals were an NHL career high for Rieder and tied for second on Arizona with center Martin Hanzal, who played 51 games with the Coyotes before being traded to the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 26, behind forward Radim Vrbata‘s 20. Kempny, 26, who could have become a restricted free agent July 1, had eight points (two goals, six assists) in 50 games in his first season in the NHL. Prior to joining the Blackhawks, Kempny played for Avangard Omsk in the Kontinental Hockey League, where he had 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) and was plus-18 in 59 games. Kempny also played for the Czech Republic in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 2017 World Hockey Championship.

Anaheim Ducks defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen are likely to miss the start of next season after each sustained a shoulder injury during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, general manager Bob Murray said Thursday. Lindholm would need 4-5 months to recover after surgery to repair a torn labrum. Vatanen, who will have surgery to repair the same injury, will need more time than Lindholm, Murray said. “We’re almost positive Hampus is having shoulder surgery,” Murray said. “Sami needs surgery. He’s deciding where to do it. Some can rehab these things, but we’re not suggesting they do that. Those two guys have bad shoulders and they played through them. You’ve got to give them [credit].” Vatanen was injured in Game 1 of a Western Conference First Round sweep against the Calgary Flames and returned for Game 3 of the second round against the Edmonton Oilers, a series Anaheim won in seven games. Lindholm injured his shoulder in Game 4 against the Flames but did not miss a game. Forward Patrick Eaves, who was injured in the second round and didn’t play the final 10 games of the playoffs, had a deep bone bruise, Murray said. Eaves can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Forward Rickard Rakell, who missed the final two games, had an ankle sprain, and defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who was injured in Game 1 against the Oilers and missed nine games with a lower-body injury before returning in Game 4 of the conference final, said he played with a torn MCL that doesn’t require surgery. Center Nate Thompson sustained a hairline fracture in his ankle against the Flames but did not miss a game. Center Ryan Kesler, who scored one goal in 17 playoff games, was asked if he was 100 percent. “Was I? I didn’t play like it,” he said. “That’s for sure. … “I’m not a big fan of guys divulging injuries. I’m sure I’ll get looked after. Hopefully I don’t need to get anything done.”

Milestones/Records/Honors/Deaths:

Suspensions/Fines:

K. Subban has not been shy about his confidence in the Nashville Predators and their ability to bounce back. The defenseman essentially guaranteed a Predators win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVA Sports) following a 4-1 loss in Game 2 on Wednesday. “We don’t lose in our building,” Subban said. “So we’re going back home, we’re going to win the next game, and then we’ll see what happens from there.” Subban doubled down on that guarantee Thursday, with Nashville trailing the best-of-7 series 2-0. “I feel even more confident now that I’ve had a night of rest,” Subban said. “There’s no question. We’re going to win the next game and then we’ll move forward.” The Predators are 7-1 at home during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including 3-0 in the first home game of a series. They expect a raucous crowd Saturday and will try to take the first step in evening the series before it heads back to Pittsburgh for Game 5. “Well, they did what they had to do,” Subban said. “I mean, that’s what they’re supposed to do. They wanted to take the games at home, and now we have two games at home and we want to take both. At the end of the day, it starts Saturday and you want to take one game at a time. We’ve had tremendous success in our building and we’re going to take advantage of it.”

Alex Ovechkin will remain captain of the Washington Capitals and Barry Trotz will be their coach heading into next season, though general manager Brian MacLellan made it clear Tuesday he’s not entirely happy with either one. Though it remains highly unlikely, MacLellan didn’t completely rule out trading Ovechkin while he searches for answers to the Capitals’ repeated failures in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, Ovechkin has four seasons left on a contract that includes a limited no-trade clause, according to CapFriendly.com, and any trade would likely have to be approved by Washington owner Ted Leonsis. “People are looking for a major solution to what we have going on,” MacLellan said. “I think part of it is they watch certain things in [Ovechkin’s] game, and then it shows up and they say that’s not acceptable. But he’s a big part of our franchise, a big part of our history. He’s been a big part of where we’re at as an organization and just to casually say, ‘Let’s trade him?’ For what? For who? I don’t think it makes sense from an organizational point of view. “Maybe at some point if there’s a legitimate hockey deal that came available, but I don’t know if that’s where we’re at right now.” Among MacLellan’s initial determinations was to retain Trotz as coach, which he said makes sense after the Capitals won the Presidents’ Trophy in back-to-back seasons. But MacLellan said he has no plans at this point to offer an extension to Trotz, who is entering the final season on his contract. MacLellan appears to want Trotz, 54, to earn the extension by making some necessary internal changes, though he declined to reveal the changes he’d like to see. “I think we’re in a period here of uncertainty where we have to drill down some specific stuff,” MacLellan said, “I think we needed improvements throughout our organization, myself included. Once there’s evidence of those improvements, a contract extension could take place.” That’s not a strong endorsement for Trotz’s future with the Capitals. MacLellan said he and Trotz have a philosophical difference on how to deal with Washington’s burdensome history of not getting past the second round of the playoffs since 1998. Trotz has repeatedly said the Capitals’ past is irrelevant. MacLellan said he believes the pressure of past postseason failures impacted the players and coaches negatively in Game 7 against the Penguins.

The home arena of the Winnipeg Jets will now be known as Bell MTS Place. The name change took effect Tuesday. The Jets have played at the arena, which opened in November 2004 and was previously known as MTS Centre, since the franchise relocated from Atlanta for the 2011-12 season. Bell Canada launched Bell MTS following its acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services in March. MTS and True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Jets, entered into an agreement when the arena opened, and the naming rights will stay with Bell MTS.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Monday announced a schedule of special events for the 2017-18 season, including the 2018 NHL All-Star Game, which will be held at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Jan. 28, and a 2018 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland on March 3. Bettman gave his State of the League address before the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators played Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at PPG Paints Arena. He touched on the ambitious international offering of events, ranging from the 2017 NHL China Games presented by O.R.G. Packaging, preseason games between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 21 and 23, to the 2017 SAP NHL Global Series in Sweden, two regular-season games between the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators on Nov. 10 and 11. Bettman said the outdoor game between the Capitals and Maple Leafs will launch a series of Coors Light NHL Stadium Series games at U.S. military academies over the next few seasons. He said the All-Star event, which will include the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 27, and the game, which will use the 3-on-3 format for a third straight season, will be a way to celebrate the host city of the Tampa Bay Lightning. “We are looking forward to bringing the 2018 NHL All-Star celebration to the Tampa Bay area,” Commissioner Bettman said. “In addition to the events on the ice, we’re planning outside activities which will embrace the Tampa Bay community, as well as the Florida sunshine. We know [Lightning chairman and governor] Jeff Vinik, the Lightning and Amalie Arena will be outstanding hosts as the NHL family gathers for our midseason showcase.” The Commissioner addressed a variety of topics, including video review, the rationale for the preseason games in China, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, and the possibility of Nashville hosting an outdoor game. On potential changes to the video review process: “One of the things we’re going to look at is exactly how much time a coach is going to get to challenge it. Sometimes the officials take a little too long to go to the bench, the coaches do a variety of things to take more time to look at the video. “We’re going to contemplate the possibility, and we have to work this out, of putting a clock on how much time there is once a goal is scored. But beyond that, we think it’s working the way it was intended to.” On the status of the upcoming international calendar: “We obviously are going to play the preseason games in China and the regular-season games in Sweden. We had as part of discussions toward the end of last year, we had hoped to develop with the [NHL] Players’ Association a robust calendar over a nine-year period that would have included two World Cups, possibly the two Olympics, and what we’ve been calling the two Ryder Cups, in addition to a variety of other ventures. “But that kind of got derailed because it wasn’t something that we could get traction on with the Players’ Association.” Bettman later gave additional background behind the lack of traction, saying that the League met with the Players’ Association in November to talk about future World Cups. “We said, ‘Conceptually, that’s a great idea, except we each have a reopener (of the collective bargaining agreement), exercisable by notice in September of 2019, effective by notice September of 2020.’ If we’re going to plan a World Cup of 2020, we either need to give up the reopener or pick a different date. On growing the game in China: “We’re working very hard and [we’re] very focused with developing the Chinese market in part because we have been told by the Chinese government at very high levels that there is, leading to 2022, a priority to develop winter sports. I was told by the minister of sport when I was there about a month ago that they would like to see 300 million more participants in winter sports, particularly and including hockey. “The issue of the Olympics of 2022 in all my meetings when I was in Beijing never came up, and I think the focus is more about long-term developing the sport, not necessarily what happens for two weeks in 2022.” On if NHL participation in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics in South Korea was a settled issue: “Six weeks ago, we were very clear and definitive that the teams had no interest in going to the Olympics in PyeongChang.” Was it still an open issue? “It is not and has not been.” On the possibility of signature events being held in Nashville: “An outdoor game in Nashville at some point might be nice. They have a nice outdoor stadium, actually a couple to choose from.”

The Vegas Golden Knights will have an additional 24 hours to complete the NHL Expansion Draft process than originally planned, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Monday. The lists of protected players from the other 30 NHL teams will be provided to the Golden Knights at 10 a.m. on June 18, and they will have until 10 a.m. on June 21 to submit their selection list. The 72-hour window is up from the original one of 48 hours, Daly said. The Golden Knights can sign any restricted or unrestricted free agent left unprotected by his team, and the window for them to do that was also increased from 48 hours to 72 hours between those dates (June 18-21). These free agents would not otherwise be allowed to sign with a team different than the one they played for this season until July 1.

Nicholle Anderson, the wife of Ottawa Senators goaltenderCraig Anderson, is cancer-free, he said Saturday. Nicholle was diagnosed in October with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare form of throat cancer. The couple received the good news after tests this week, Craig Anderson said. “She did a PET scan and MRIs, and as of right now everything is clean and we’ll just cross our fingers,” he said. “We’ve got to do scans, I think, every three months. As of right now, things are positive, but you’re not out of the woods yet until you get, I think, two years of cancer-free news.” Anderson said Nicholle gave him the results Thursday morning before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, which the Senators lost 3-2 in the second overtime to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Her message: “Things are going in the right direction … go out there and have fun.”

With trade discussions ahead of the NHL Expansion Draft heating up, Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee said he expects his first trades could be completed as early as next week. McPhee said Thursday that other NHL GMs are eager to get the Golden Knights to agree to compensation in order to not take an unprotected player. “There’s been a lot of discussion in the past few days and I think it’s going to be pretty steady from here on out,” McPhee said in Windsor, Ontario, where he’s scouting prospects at the Memorial Cup. “Several GMs have tried to make appointments to get together at the [NHL Scouting] Combine next week, so we’ll certainly do that.” “We have a pretty good idea, obviously, what players are on the bubble,” McPhee said. “A lot of GMs have been very forthright in explaining to us what they’d like to do, so we have a pretty good feel for what is going on.” NHL teams can protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender, or eight skaters of any position and a goalie. Vegas must select one player from each of the other teams, including a minimum of three goaltenders, nine defensemen and 14 forwards.

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